The Office for National Statistics said UK unemployment is now running at 8.1%.
Unemployment in the UK rose by 114,000 between June and August to 2.57 million - a 17-year high according to ONS figures.
The number of 16-24 year olds without work hit a record high of 991,000 - 21.3% of young people are now unemployed.
The total number of people out of work and claiming benefits also rose 17,500 to 1.6 million in September.
Other figures showed a record cut in the number of part-time workers, down by 175,000, and a reduction of 74,000 in the number of over-65s currently employed.
